Port of Rotterdam investing in infra and transport for economic growth

Europe needs to invest in improvements in European infrastructure to ensure economic growth. This is the opinion of a number of CEOs from European companies, including Hans Smits, Port of Rotterdam Authority. To this end, today, 24 October, they are signing a manifesto with the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, calling on European government leaders to maintain an infrastructure budget of €50 billion. Investing in infrastructure means investing in economic growth and in the competitive strength of Europe and of Rotterdam.

Rotterdam
Streamlining cross-border connections to the European hinterland, such as the third rail track in Germany, is vitally important for the Port of Rotterdam. This will enable the port to maintain and strengthen its leading position as logistical hub for the European economy. Projects in the Rotterdam port area and the rest of the Netherlands, such as the locks in the province of Zeeland land and inland waterway connections with Belgium and France also need to be able to make a claim on European financing.

Budget 2014-2020
A decision on the EU budget for 2014-2020 will be taken at the end of November. The European Commission has proposed increasing the infrastructure budget to €50 billion in the areas of transport, energy and telecoms. This budget will be used mainly in realising integrated road, rail, canal, airport, port and pipeline networks and in removing bottlenecks for transporting goods, passengers and energy.